Monday, February 18, 2013

WinterGreen Research announces that it has published a new study
Surgical Robots: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2012
to 2018. The 2012 study has 263 pages, 75 tables and figures. Worldwide
surgical robot markets are poised to achieve significant growth as the
next generation systems provide a way to improve traditional open
surgery.

The automated process revolution in surgery and communications is
being implemented via robots. Robots are automating systems, providing
significant improvement in the accuracy of surgery.

According to Susan Eustis, lead author of the study, "Existing open
surgery can be replaced in large part by robotic and minimally invasive
surgery (MIS). Minimally invasive surgery MIS, drug therapies,
radiation treatment, and emerging interventional surgical approaches
complement robotic surgery techniques as a replacement for or complement
to open surgery."

During a robot assisted surgical procedure, the patient-side cart
is positioned next to the operating table with the electromechanical
arms arranged to provide access to the initial ports selected by the
surgeon. Metal tubes attached to the arms are inserted through the
ports, and the cutting and visualization instruments are introduced
through the tubes into the patient's body.

The surgeon performs the procedure while sitting at a console,
manipulating the instrument controls and viewing the operation through a
vision system. When a surgeon needs to change an instrument the
instrument is withdrawn from the surgical field using the controls at
the console and a new instrument is inserted. This is done many times
during an operation.

The companies that get an early foothold in the market have
significant strategic advantage. The robotic surgical technique benefits
hospitals by reducing the length of patient stays, thereby enabling
better cost management. This factor is driving demand for surgery robot
systems. Since robotics provides surgeons with a precise, repeatable and
controlled ability to perform procedures in tight spaces, they are
increasingly in demand.

The aging US population has supported demand, since the occurrence
of health issues that require medical devices is higher in the elderly
population. Buoyed by strong demand and sales, industry profit margins
have increased considerably during the past five years.

Compared with other minimally invasive surgery approaches,
robot-assisted surgery gives the surgeon better control over the
surgical instruments and a better view of the surgical site. Surgeons no
longer have to stand throughout the surgery and do not tire as quickly.
Hand tremors are filtered out by the robot's computer software. The
surgical robot can continuously be used by rotating surgery teams.